Beautiful French words and phrases with translation. Beautiful French words and phrases with translation Easy words in French with pronunciation
Magnificent France is a country of romance and hearts in love. Traveling to France is the dream of every couple in love. There is everything for a romantic getaway.
Nice cozy cafes, wonderful hotels, lots of entertainment and nightclubs. Holidays in France will appeal to anyone, no matter what their tastes. This is a unique, very diverse country. And if you also communicate with its inhabitants, you will completely fall in love with this wonderful corner of the Earth.
But in order to communicate with the local population, you need to know at least the basics of the French language, or have our Russian-French phrasebook at hand, which consists of important sections.
Common phrases
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes. | Oui. | Oui. |
| No. | Non. | Non. |
| Please. | S'il vous plait. | Sil wu ple. |
| Thank you. | Merci. | Mercy. |
| Thanks a lot. | Merci beaucoup. | Mercy side. |
| I'm sorry, but I can't | excusez-moi, mais je ne peux pas | excuse mua, me jyo nyo pyo pa |
| Fine | bien | bian |
| OK | d'accord | dakor |
| Yes, sure | oui, bien sûr | ui, bian sur |
| Now | tout de suite | tou de suite |
| of course | bien sûr | bian sur |
| Deal | d'accord | dakor |
| How can I be of assistance (official) | comment puis-je vous aider? | Koman puij vu zede? |
| Friends! | camarades | kamarad |
| colleagues! (official) | cheres collegues! | Shar colleague |
| young woman! | Mademoiselle! | mademoiselle! |
| Sorry, I didn't hear. | je n'ai pas entendu | zhe ne pa zantandyu |
| repeat please | repetez, si'il vous plait | rapete, sil vu ple |
| please … | ayez la bonte de… | Aye la bonte deux... |
| Sorry | pardont | sorry |
| sorry (attracting attention) | excusez-moi | excuse mua |
| we already know each other | nous nous sommes connus | well well catfish horse |
| Pleased to meet you | je suis heureux(se) de faire votre connaissance | zhe sui örö(z) de fair votr conesance |
| I am very happy) | je suis heureux | zhe shui yoryo (yorez) |
| Very nice. | enchante | Anchante |
| My last name … | mon nom de famille est... | mon nom de familia eh... |
| Let me introduce myself | parmettez - moi de me presenter | permete mua de me prezante |
| would you like to introduce | permettez - moi de vous presenter le | permete mua de vou prezante le |
| meet me | faites connaissance | fat conscience |
| what is your name? | comment vous appellez — vous? | Koman vu zaplevu? |
| My name is … | Je m'appelle | Zhe mapel |
| Let's get acquainted | Faisons connaossance | Feuzon conesance |
| there's no way I can | je ne peux pas | no no no no |
| I'd love to, but I can't | avec plaisir, mais je ne peux pas | avek plaisir, me zhe no pyo pa |
| I have to refuse you (official) | je suis oblige de refuser | zhe sui lizhe de refuse |
| in no case! | jamais de la vie! | jamais de la vie |
| never! | James! | jamais |
| This is absolutely impossible! | c'est impossible! | se tenposible! |
| thanks for the advice … | mersi puor votre conseil… | mesri pur votr concey... |
| I will think | je penserai | zhe pansre |
| I will try | je tacherai | zhe tashre |
| I will listen to your opinion | je preterai l'ireille a votre opinion | zhe prêtre leray a votre opinion |
Appeals
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello) | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good afternoon! | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good morning! | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good evening! | (bon soire) bonjoure | (bonsoir) bonjour |
| Welcome! | soyer le(la) bienvenu(e) | suae le(la) bienvenu |
| Hello! (not official) | salut | salya |
| Greetings! (official) | je vous salue | wow salyu |
| Goodbye! | au revoir! | about revoir |
| best wishes | mes couhaits | meh hustle |
| all the best | mes couhaits | meh hustle |
| see you soon | a bientôt | a biento |
| till tomorrow! | a demain! | a dyomen |
| Farewell) | adieu! | Adyo |
| allow me to take my leave (official) | permettez-moi de fair mes adieux! | permete mua de fair me zadiyo |
| Bye! | salut! | salya |
| Good night! | bon nuit | bon nuits |
| Bon Voyage! | bon voyage! bonne route! | bon voyage! bon root! |
| Hello yours! | saluez votre famile | salue votr famiy |
| How are you? | comment why? | coman sa va |
| What's up? | comment why? | coman sa va |
| OK, thank you | merci, ca va | merci, sa va |
| Everything is fine. | ça va | sa wa |
| everything is the same | comme toujours | com tujour |
| Fine | ça va | sa wa |
| Wonderful | tres bien | tre bien |
| not complaining | ça va | sa wa |
| doesn't matter | tout doucement | that dusman |
At the station
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| where is the waiting room? | qu est la salle d'attente& | u e la salle datant? |
| Has the registration already been announced? | A-t-on deja annonce l'enregistrement? | aton deja announce lanrözhiströman? |
| Has the boarding been announced yet? | a-t-on deja annonce l'atterissage? | aton deja announce laterisage? |
| please tell me flight no.... is delayed? | dites s'il vous plaît, le vol numero... est-il retenu? | dit silvuple, le vol numero... ethyl retönü? |
| where does the plane land? | Òu l'avion fait-il escale? | Lavion fetil escal? |
| is this flight direct? | Est-ce un vol sans escale? | es en vol san zeskal? |
| what is the flight duration? | combien dure le vol? | combien du le vol? |
| I would like a ticket to... | s'il vous plaît, un billet a des tination de... | Sil vouple, en biye a destinacion de... |
| how to get to the airport? | comment puis-je arriver a l’aeroport? | Coman puisjarive à laéropor? |
| is the airport far from the city? | Est-ce que l'aeroport est loin de la ville? | esque laéropor e luin de la ville? |
At customs
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| customs inspection | controle douanier | Duanier control |
| customs | douane | duan |
| I have nothing to declare | je n'ai rien a daclarer | zhe ne rien a deklyare |
| can I take my bag with me? | Est-ce que je peux prendre ce sac dans le salon? | esko zhe pyo prandr se sak dan le salyon? |
| I only have hand luggage | je n'ai que me bags a main | zhe ne kyo me luggage a men |
| business trip | pour affairs | pur scam |
| tourist | comme touriste | com tourist |
| personal | sur invitation | sur evitation |
| This … | je viens... | zhe vien... |
| exit visa | de sortie | De Sortie |
| entry visa | d'entree | dantre |
| transit visa | de transit | de transit |
| I have … | j'ai un visa... | je en visa... |
| I am a citizen of Russia | je suis citoyen(ne) de Russie | zhe shuy situationen de ryusi |
| here's your passport | voici mon passeport | voisy mon pasport |
| Where is passport control? | qu controle-t-on les passeport? | y control-ton le pasport? |
| I have... dollars | j'ai...dollars | zhe...dolyar |
| They are gifts | ce sont des cadeaux | syo son de kado |
In a hotel, hotel
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| can i reserve a room? | Puis-je reserver une chambre? | Puige reserve yun chambre? |
| room for one. | Une chambre pour une personne. | Un chambre pur yung person. |
| room for two. | Une chambre pour deux personnes. | Un chambre pour de person. |
| I have a number reserved | on m'a reserve une chambre | he ma reserve un chambre |
| not very expensive. | Pas très cher. | Pa tre shar. |
| how much does a room cost per night? | Combien coute cette chambre par nuit? | Combian cut set chambre par nuit? |
| for one night (for two nights) | Pour une nuit (deux nuits) | Pur yun newy (de newy) |
| I would like a room with a telephone, TV and a bar. | Je voudrais une chambre avec un telephone, une television et un bar. | Jeu voodray youth chambre avek on telefon youth television e on bar |
| I booked a room under the name Catherine | J'ai reserve une chambre au nom de Catherine. | Jae réservé youth chambre au nom deux Catherines |
| please give me the keys to the room. | Je voudrais la clef de ma chambre. | Jeu voodray la claff deux ma chambre |
| are there any messages for me? | Avevu de masaj pur mua? | |
| What time do you have breakfast? | Avez-vous des messages pour moi? | And kel yor servevu lepeti dezhene? |
| Hello, reception, could you wake me up tomorrow at 7 am? | Hello, la reception, pouvez-vous me reveiller demain matin a 7 heures? | Ale la reseptsion puve vu me reveye dyoman matan a set(o)or? |
| I'd like to pay it off. | Je voudrais regler la note. | Zhe voodre ragle A not. |
| I will pay in cash. | Je vais payer en especes. | Jeu ve paye en espas. |
| I need a single room | pour une personne | Jae Beuzouin Dune Chambre Puryun Person |
| number… | dans la chambre il-y-a… | Dan La Chambre Ilya... |
| with phone | un telephone | en phone |
| with bath | une salle de bains | un sal de bain |
| with shower | une douche | un shower |
| with TV | un poste de television | en post de television |
| with refrigerator | un refrigerateur | en refrigerated |
| room for a day | (une) chambre pour un jour | un chambre pour en jour |
| room for two days | (une) chambre pour deux jours | un chambre pour de jour |
| what is the price? | combien coute... ? | combien cut...? |
| what floor is my room on? | a quel etage se trouve ma chambre? | and kaletazh setruv ma chambre? |
| where is … ? | qu ce trouve (qu est…) | u setruv (u e) ...? |
| restaurant | le restaurant | le restaurant |
| bar | le bar | le bar |
| elevator | l'ascenseur | lasseur |
| cafe | la cafe | le café |
| room key please | le clef, s'il vous plait | le clay, sil vou ple |
| please take my things to the room | s'il vous plait, portez mes valises dans ma chambre | Sil vu ple, porte mae valise dan ma chambre |
Walking around the city
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| where can I buy...? | qu puis-je acheter…? | u puij ashte...? |
| city map | le plan de la ville | le place de la ville |
| guide | le guide | le guide |
| what to see first? | qu'est-ce qu'il faut regarder en premier lieu? | Keskilfo rögarde en prêmie lieu? |
| it's my first time in Paris | c'est pour la premiere fois que je suis a Paris | se pur la premier foie kyo zhe xui e pari |
| what is the name of …? | comment s'appelle...? | koman sapel...? |
| this street | cette rue | set ryu |
| this park | ce parc | syo park |
| Here "- where exactly …? | qu se trouve...? | syo truv...? |
| railway station | la gare | A la garde |
| please tell me where is...? | dites, s’il vous plait, où se trouve...? | dit, silvuple, u se truv...? |
| hotel | l'hotel | letel |
| I'm a newcomer, help me get to the hotel | je suis etranger aidez-moi, a arriver a l’hotel | zhe syu zetranzhe, ede-mua a arive a letel |
| I'm lost | je me suis egar | zhe myo shui zegare |
| How can I get to …? | comment aller...? | koman tale...? |
| to the city center | au center de la ville | o center de la ville |
| to the station | a la gare | a la garde |
| how to get outside...? | comment puis-je arriver a la rue...? | coman puige arive a la rue...? |
| it is far from here? | c'est loin d'ici? | se luan disi? |
| can you get there on foot? | Puis-je y arriver a pied? | puige et arive à pieux? |
| I'm looking for … | je cherche... | wow shersh... |
| bus stop | l'arret d'autobus | Lyare Dotobus |
| exchange office | la bureau de change | la bureau de change |
| where is the post office? | qu se trouve le bureau de poste | ou se trouve le bureau de post? |
| please tell me where is the nearest department store | dites s'il vous plait, qu est le grand magasin le plus proche | dit silvuple u e le grand magazin le plus proche? |
| telegraph? | le telegraph? | le telegraph? |
| where is the pay phone? | qu est le taxiphone | Do you have a taxiphone? |
In transport
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where can I get a taxi? | Ou puis-je prendre un taxi? | U puige prand en taxi? |
| Call a taxi, please. | Appelez le taxi, s’il vous plait. | Aple le taxi, sil vou ple. |
| How much does it cost to get to...? | Quel est le prix jusqu'a...? | Kel e le pri zyuska...? |
| Take me to... | Deposez-moi a… | Depose mua a... |
| Take me to the airport. | Deposez-moi a l'aeroport. | Depose mua a laeropor. |
| Take me to the train station. | Deposez-moi a la gare. | Depoze mua a la garde. |
| Take me to the hotel. | Deposez-moi a l'hotel. | Depose mua a letel. |
| Take me to this address. | Conduise-moi a cette adresse, s’il vous plait. | Conduize mua a set address sil vu ple. |
| Left. | A gauche. | A gosh. |
| Right. | A droite. | A druat. |
| Directly. | Tout droit. | Tu drois. |
| Stop here, please. | Arretez ici, s’il vous plait. | Arete isi, sil vu ple. |
| Could you wait for me? | Pourriez-vouz m'attendre? | Purye vu matandr? |
| This is my first time in Paris. | Je suis a Paris pour la premiere fois. | Jeux suey a pari pour la premier foie. |
| This is not my first time here. The last time I was in Paris was 2 years ago. | Ce n'est pas la premiere fois, que je viens a Paris. Je suis deja venu, il y a deux ans. | Se ne pa la premier foie kyo zhe vyan a Pari, zhe suey dezha venu Ilya dezan |
| I've never been here. It is very beautiful in here | Je ne suis jamais venu ici. C'est tres beau | Zhe no suey jamais wenyu isi. Se tre bo |
In public places
Emergencies
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours! | Oh sekur! |
| Call the police! | Appelez la police! | Apple la polis! |
| Call a doctor. | Appelez un medecin! | Apple en medsen! |
| I'm lost! | Je me suis egare(e) | Zhe myo shui egare. |
| Stop the thief! | Au voleur! | Oh aviary! |
| Fire! | Au feu! | Oh fyo! |
| I have a (small) problem | J'ai un (petit) probleme | same yon (peti) problems |
| help me please | Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait | ede mua sil wu ple |
| What's wrong with you? | Que vous arrive-t-il? | Kyo wuzariv til |
| I feel bad | J'ai un malaise | Je(o)yon malez |
| I'm sick | J'ai mal au coeur | Zhe mal e keur |
| I have a headache/stomach ache | J'ai mal a la tete / au ventre | Zhe mal a la tête / o ventre |
| I broke my leg | Je me suis casse la jambe | Zhe myo suey kase lajamb |
Numerals
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | un,une | en, yun |
| 2 | deux | doyo |
| 3 | trois | Troyes |
| 4 | quatre | kyatr |
| 5 | cinq | senk |
| 6 | six | sis |
| 7 | sept | seth |
| 8 | huit | whit |
| 9 | neuf | noef |
| 10 | dix | dis |
| 11 | onz | onz |
| 12 | douze | duz |
| 13 | treize | trez |
| 14 | quatorze | kyatorz |
| 15 | quinze | kenz |
| 16 | seize | sez |
| 17 | dix-sept | diset |
| 18 | dix-huit | disuit |
| 19 | dix-neuf | disnoef |
| 20 | vingt | van |
| 21 | vingt et un | wen te en |
| 22 | vingt-deux | wen doyo |
| 23 | vingt-trois | van trois |
| 30 | trente | trant |
| 40 | quarante | tran te en |
| 50 | cinquante | senkant |
| 60 | soixante | Suasant |
| 70 | soixante-dix | suasant dis |
| 80 | quatre-vingt(s) | Quatreux van |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | Quatreux Van Dis |
| 100 | cent | san |
| 101 | cent un | santen |
| 102 | cent deux | san deo |
| 110 | cent dix | san dis |
| 178 | cent soixante-dix-huit | san suasant dis unit |
| 200 | deux cents | de san |
| 300 | trois cents | trois sains |
| 400 | quatre cents | Quatro San |
| 500 | cinq cents | Sank-san |
| 600 | six cents | si san |
| 700 | sept cents | set san |
| 800 | huit cents | Yui-san |
| 900 | neutral cents | nave dignity |
| 1 000 | mille | miles |
| 2 000 | deux mille | de miles |
| 1 000 000 | un million | en million |
| 1 000 000 000 | un billion | en miliar |
| 0 | zero | zero |
In the shop
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| please show me this. | Montrez-moi cela, s’il vous plait. | montre mua selya, sil vu ple. |
| I would like to… | Je voudrais... | wowdre... |
| give it to me please. | Donnez-moi cela, s’il vous plait. | done mua selya, sil vu ple. |
| How much does it cost? | Combien ca coute? | kombyan sa kut? |
| what is the price? | C'est combien? | combien cut |
| please write this. | Ecrivez-le, s'il vous plait | ecrive le, sil vu ple |
| too expensive. | C'est trop cher. | se tro sher. |
| it's expensive/cheap. | C'est cher / bon marche | se cher / bon marche |
| sale. | Soldes/Promotions/Ventes. | sold/Promotion/Vant |
| can I try this on? | Puis-je l'essayer? | Puige l'esaye? |
| Where is the fitting room located? | Ou est la cabine d'essayage? | U e la cabin desayage? |
| my size is 44 | Je porte du quarante-quatre. | Jeu port du querant quatr. |
| do you have this in XL size? | Avez-vous cela en XL? | Ave vu selya en ixel? |
| what size is it? (cloth)? | C'est quelle taille? | Se kel tai? |
| what size is it? (shoes) | C'est quelle pointure? | Se quel pointure? |
| I need a size… | J'ai besoin de la taille / pointure… | Jae beuzuan de la tai/pointure |
| do you have….? | Avez-vous... ? | Ave wu...? |
| do you accept credit cards? | Acceptez-vous les cartes de credit? | Acceptevu le carte de cred? |
| do you have an exchange office? | Avez-vous un bureau de change? | Avevu he bureau de change? |
| What time do you work until? | A quelle heure fermez-vous? | And kel yor ferme wu? |
| Whose production is this? | Ou est-il fabrique? | At the ethyl factory? |
| I need something cheaper | je veux une chambre moins chere | jeu veu un chambre mouen cher |
| I'm looking for a department... | je cherche le rayon... | jeu cherche le rayon... |
| shoes | des chaussures | de chaussure |
| haberdashery | de mercerie | de mercery |
| cloth | des vetements | De Whatman |
| can I help you? | Puis-je vous aider? | puij vuzade? |
| no thanks, I'm just looking | non, merci, je regarde tout simplement | non, merci, zhe regard tu sampleman |
| When does the store open (close)? | Quand ouvre (ferme) se magasin? | kan uvr (ferm) sho magazan? |
| Where is the nearest market? | Q'u se trouve le marche le plus proche? | ou sé trouve le marche le pluse proch? |
| you have …? | avez-vous...? | awe-woo...? |
| bananas | des bananes | da banana |
| grape | du raisin | du rezin |
| fish | du poisson | du poisson |
| kilogram please... | s’il vous plait un kilo... | sil vuple, en kile... |
| grapes | de raisin | de resen |
| tomato | de tomatoes | de tomato |
| cucumbers | de concombres | de concombre |
| give me please … | donnes-moi, s’il vous plait… | done-mua, silpuvple... |
| a pack of tea (butter) | un paquet de the (de beurre) | en pake de te (de beur) |
| box of chocolates | une boite de bonbons | un boit de bonbon |
| jar of jam | un bocal de confiture | en glass de confiture |
| bottle of juice | une bou teille de jus | un butei de ju |
| loaf of bread | une baguette | un baguette |
| a carton of milk | un paquet de lait | en paquet deux |
At the restaurant
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| what is your signature dish? | qu set-ce que vous avez comme specialites maison? | kesko vvu zave com specialite maison? |
| Menu, please | le menu, s’il vous plait | le menu, silvuple |
| what do you recommend to us? | que pouvez-vouz nous recommander? | kyo puve-woo nu ryokomande? |
| Is it busy here? | la place est-elle occupee? | la place etale ocupé? |
| for tomorrow, at six o'clock in the evening | pour demain a six heures | pour d'aumain a ciseur du soir |
| Hello! can I reserve a table...? | Hello! Puis-je reserver la table...? | Hello, puige réserve la table...? |
| for two | pour deux | pour deux |
| for three persons | pour trois | pour trois |
| for four | pour quatre | pur qatr |
| I invite you to a restaurant | je t'invite au restaurant | same tenvit o restaurant |
| let's have dinner at a restaurant today | allons au restaurant le soir | al'n o restaurant le soir |
| here's a cafe. | boire du cafe | boir du cafe |
| where can …? | qu peut-on...? | u peton...? |
| eat delicious and inexpensive | manger bon et pas trop cher | manzhe bon e pa tro cher |
| have a quick snack | manger sur le pouce | mange sur le pousse |
| to drink coffee | boire du cafe | boir du cafe |
| Please … | s'il vous plait... | silvuple.. |
| Omelet with cheese) | une omlette (au fromage) | un omelette (o fromage) |
| sandwich | une tarine | un tartine |
| Coca Cola | un coca-cola | en coca cola |
| ice cream | une glace | un glace |
| coffee | un cafe | en cafe |
| I want to try something new | je veux gouter quelque chose de nouveau | zhe ve gute quelköshoz de nouveau |
| please tell me what is...? | dites s'il vous plait qu'est ce que c'est que...? | dit silvuple kyoskose kyo...? |
| Is this a meat (fish) dish? | c'est un plat de viande / de poisson? | seten place de viand/de poisson? |
| would you like to try the wine? | ne voulez-vous pas deguster? | no vule-woo pa deguste? |
| what do you have …? | qu'est-ce que vous avez....? | keskyo wu zawe...? |
| for a snack | comme hors d'oeuvre | com order |
| for dessert | comme dessert | com deser |
| what drinks do you have? | qu'est-se que vous avez comme boissons? | kesko vu zave com buason? |
| bring it please … | apportez-moi, s’il vous plait… | aporte mua silvuple... |
| mushrooms | les champignons | le champignon |
| chicken | le poulet | Le Poulet |
| Apple pie | une tart aux pommes | un tart o pom |
| I would like some vegetables please | s’il vous plait, quelque chose de legumes | silvuple, quelkyo shoz de legum |
| I am a vegetarian | je suis vegetarien | zhe sui vezhetarien |
| me please... | s’il vous plait… | silvuple… |
| fruit salad | une salade de fruits | un salad d'frui |
| ice cream and coffee | une glace et un cafe | un glas e en cafe |
| delicious! | c'est tr'es bon! | se tre bon! |
| your kitchen is great | votre cuisine est excellente | votr cuisin etexelant |
| The check, please | l'addition, s'il vous plait | Ladysion Silvuple |
Tourism
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the nearest exchange office? | Ou se trouve le bureau de change le plus proche? | U se trouve le bureau de change le pluse proche? |
| Can you change these traveler's checks? | Remboursez-vous ces cheques de voyage? | Rambourse vu se shek de voyage? |
| What is the exchange rate? | Quel est le cours de change? | Quel e le cour de change? |
| How much is the commission? | Cela fait combien, la commission? | Selya fe combian, la commission? |
| I want to exchange dollars for francs. | Je voudrais changer des dollars US contre les francs francais. | Zhe vudre change de dolyar U.S. contra le franc français. |
| How much will I get for $100? | Combien toucherai-je pour cent dollars? | Kombyan tusrej pur san dolyar? |
| What time do you work until? | A quelle heure etes-vous ferme? | And kel yor etvu ferme? |
Greetings - a list of words with which you can greet or say hello to the people of France.
Standard phrases are all you need to maintain or develop a conversation. Common words used in conversation every day.
Station – questions frequently asked at train stations and general words and phrases that will be useful both at the railway station and at any other station.
Passport control - upon arriving in France, you will have to go through passport and customs control, this procedure will be easier and faster if you use this section.
Orientation in the city - if you don’t want to get lost in one of the big French cities, keep this section from our Russian-French phrasebook handy. With its help you will always find your way.
Transport – when traveling around France, you will often have to use public transport. We have collected translations of words and phrases that will be useful to you in public transport, taxis, etc.
Hotel – translation of phrases that will be very useful to you during registration at the hotel and throughout your stay.
Public places – using this section you can ask passers-by what interesting things you can see in the city.
Emergencies are a topic that should not be neglected. With its help, you can call an ambulance, the police, call passers-by for help, report that you are feeling unwell, etc.
Shopping – when going shopping, don’t forget to take a phrasebook with you, or rather this topic from it. Everything in it will help you make any purchases, from vegetables at the market to branded clothing and shoes.
Restaurant – French cuisine is famous for its sophistication and you will most likely want to try its dishes. But in order to order a meal, you need to know at least minimal French in order to be able to read the menu or call the waiter. In this regard, this section will serve you as a good assistant.
Numbers and figures - a list of numbers, starting from zero to a million, their spelling and correct pronunciation in French.
Tours - translation, spelling and correct pronunciation of words and questions that will be useful to every tourist more than once on their trip.
The French language is deservedly considered the most sensual language in the world - it uses several hundred verbs denoting emotions and feelings of various kinds. The lyrical melody of the throat sound “r” and the exquisite precision of “le” give a special charm to the language.
Gallicisms
The French words used in the Russian language are called Gallicisms; they have firmly entered Russian-language conversation with a large number of words and derivatives from them, similar in meaning or, conversely, only in sound.
The pronunciation of French words differs from Slavic ones in the presence of throat and nasal sounds, for example, “an” and “on” are pronounced by passing the sound through the nasal cavity, and the sound “en” through the lower part of the front wall of the throat. This language is also characterized by an emphasis on the last syllable of a word and soft sibilant sounds, as in the words “brochure” and “jelly”. Another indicator of Gallicism is the presence in the word of the suffixes -azh, -ar, -ism (plume, massage, boudoir, monarchism). These subtleties alone make it clear how unique and diverse the state language of France is.
Abundance of French words in Slavic languages
Few people realize that “metro”, “baggage”, “balance” and “politics” are native French words borrowed from other languages, the beautiful “veil” and “nuance” too. According to some data, about two thousand Gallicisms are used every day in the post-Soviet space. Items of clothing (knickers, cuffs, vest, pleated, overalls), military themes (dugout, patrol, trench), trading (advance, credit, kiosk and regime) and, of course. words associated with beauty (manicure, cologne, boa, pince-nez) are all Gallicisms.
Moreover, some words are similar to the ear, but have a distant or different meaning. For example:
- A frock coat is an item of men's wardrobe, and literally means “on top of everything.”
- A buffet table is a festive table for us, but for the French it’s just a fork.
- A dude is a dapper young man, and a dude in France is a pigeon.
- Solitaire means “patience” in French, but in our country it’s a card game.
- Meringue (a type of fluffy cake) is a beautiful French word meaning kiss.
- Vinaigrette (vegetable salad), vinaigrette is just vinegar for the French.
- Dessert - initially this word in France meant clearing the table, and much later - the last dish after which they clean up.
Language of love
Tete-a-tete (one-on-one meeting), rendezvous (date), vis-a-vis (opposite) - these are also words that originate from France. Amor (love) is a beautiful French word that has excited the minds of lovers so many times. A stunning language of romance, tenderness and adoration, the melodic murmur of which will not leave any woman indifferent.
The classic “zhe tem” is used to denote strong, all-consuming love, and if you add “bian” to these words, the meaning will change: it will mean “I like you.”
Peak of popularity
French words first began to appear in the Russian language during the time of Peter the Great, and since the end of the eighteenth century they have significantly moved their native speech aside. French became the leading language of high society. All correspondence (especially love) was conducted exclusively in French, beautiful long tirades filled banquet halls and meeting rooms. At the court of Emperor Alexander III, it was considered shameful (bad manners) not to know the Frankish language; a person was immediately labeled as an ignoramus, so French teachers were in great demand.
The situation changed thanks to the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin”, in which the author Alexander Sergeevich acted very subtly by writing a monologue-letter from Tatiana to Onegin in Russian (although he thought in French, being Russian, as historians say.) With this he returned the former glory of the native language.
Popular phrases in French right now
Come il faut translated from French means “as it should”, that is, something made comme il faut - made according to all the rules and wishes.
- C'est la vie! is a very famous phrase meaning “such is life.”
- Je tem - singer Lara Fabian brought worldwide fame to these words in the song of the same name “Je t’aime!” - I love you.
- Cherche la femme - also the well-known “look for a woman”
- ger, com a la ger - “in war, as in war.” Words from the song that Boyarsky sang in the popular film of all time, “The Three Musketeers.”
- Bon mo is a sharp word.
- Faison de parle is a way of speaking.
- Ki famm ve - die le ve - “what a woman wants, God wants.”
- Antr well sau di - it’s said between us.
The history of several words
The well-known word “marmalade” is a distorted version of “Marie est malade” - Marie is sick.
In the Middle Ages, Stewart suffered from seasickness during her travels and refused to eat. Her personal doctor prescribed her slices of oranges with peel, thickly sprinkled with sugar, and the French cook prepared quince decoctions to stimulate her appetite. If these two dishes were ordered in the kitchen, the courtiers would immediately whisper: “Marie is sick!” (mari e malad).
Shantrapa - a word meaning idle people, homeless children, also came from France. Children who did not have an ear for music and good vocal abilities were not accepted into the church choir as singers (“chantra pas” - does not sing), so they wandered around the streets, mischievous and having fun. They were asked: “Why are you idle?” In response: "Shatrapa."
Podsofe - (chauffe - heating, heater) with the prefix under-, that is, heated, under the influence of heat, taken for “warming”. A beautiful French word, but the meaning is exactly the opposite.
By the way, everyone knows why it was called that? But this is a French name, and her handbag is also from there - a reticule. Shapo is translated as “hat”, and “klyak” is akin to a slap. The slap-folding hat is a folding top hat, just like the mischievous old lady wore.
Silhouette is the surname of the controller of finances at the court of Louis the Fifteenth, who was famous for his craving for luxury and various expenses. The treasury was empty too quickly and, in order to rectify the situation, the king appointed the young incorruptible Etienne Silhouette to the post, who immediately banned all festivities, balls and feasts. Everything became gray and dull, and the fashion that arose at the same time for depicting the outline of an object of a dark color on a white background was in honor of the miser minister.
Beautiful French words will diversify your speech
Recently, word tattoos have ceased to be only English and Japanese (as fashion dictated), but have increasingly begun to appear in French, some of them with interesting meanings.
The French language is considered quite complex, with many nuances and details. To know it well, you need to painstakingly study for more than one year, but this is not necessary to use several popular and beautiful phrases. Two or three words inserted at the right time into a conversation will diversify your vocabulary and make speaking French emotional and lively.
There are more than 2,000 French words in the Russian language, which we use almost every day, without even suspecting their ideologically incorrect roots. And, if we gave the Fifth Republic at least one word - “Bistro” (thanks to the Cossacks who reached Montmartre in 1814 and drank all the champagne there: “Get it quickly! Who did I tell? Quickly, motherfucker!”), then they took much more from them. The reason for this is most likely the incredible popularity of French in the 18th-19th centuries. Even the guardian of the purity of the Russian language, the Dane Vladimir Dahl, did not save. With attachés, lampshades and mufflers (cache-nez, by the way - to hide your nose) - everything is clear, but did you know, for example, that the words “turn” and “fairy” are also French?
Duty - from de jour: assigned to a certain day. For example, the classic French, seen by tourists in many cafes and bistros, plat de jour - “dish of the day”, has turned into a “daily dish” in our country.
Steering wheel, steer - from rouler: ride, rotate. There is nothing to explain here. Roll, yes, from here.
Nightmare - cauchemar: comes from two words - Old French chaucher - “to crush” and Flemish mare - “ghost”. This is the “ghost that comes at night and loves to gently lean against the sleeping people.”
Blinds - from jalouse (jalousie): envy, jealousy. Russians have never been comfortable with this word. Most people insist on emphasizing “a” instead of “and.” The etymology of the word is quite simple: to prevent neighbors from envy, the French simply lowered the blinds. Such subtleties of mental organization were not characteristic of the broad Russian character, so we simply built a higher and stronger fence.
Blowjob – minette: kitty. Well, what would we do without him! The French have a common expression “make a cat”, but it means exactly the opposite of what it means in Russian – literally “make cunnilingus”. One could assume that the word came from minet - kitten m.p., but it would have sounded “mine”, although who knows how our ancestors read it.
Coat - paletot: a definition of outerwear for men, almost no longer used in France: warm, wide, with a collar or hood. An anachronism, so to speak.
Jacket - from toujour: always. Just everyday, “everyday” clothes.
Kartuz – from cartouche: literally “cartridge”. Actually, meaning “bag of gunpowder,” this word appeared in Russia in 1696, but it “turned” into a headdress only in the 19th century in a way completely unknown to science.
Galoshes - galoche: shoes with wooden soles. V. Dahl's least favorite word. He suggested calling them “wet shoes,” but it didn’t catch on, it didn’t stick. Although, in St. Petersburg, probably not without the efforts of the same Dahl, the French word curb is persistently called “curb” - although even this word has Dutch roots. But that's not what we're talking about now. By the way, galoche has another meaning in French: passionate kiss. Think what you want.
Frock coat - from surtout: on top of everything. Oh, don't ask, we don't know and don't carry it. But yes, once upon a time a frock coat was truly outerwear.
Cap - from chapeau: comes from the Old French chape - lid.
Panama - panama: no need to explain. But what’s surprising is that Paris is often called Paname, although local residents in similar headdresses were not seen on the streets.
Masterpiece – from chef d’œuvre: master of his craft.
Chauffeur – chauffeur: originally a fireman, stoker. The one who throws firewood. But that was a long time ago, even before the advent of internal combustion engines. And by the way…
Podsofe - from the same word chauffer: to warm, to warm up. It took root in Russia, thanks to the French tutors, who were not averse to sipping a glass or two. The preposition “under” is purely Russian, often used to denote a state: under the influence, under the influence. Or... “warmed up”, if you like. And, continuing the topic of alcohol...
Kiryat, nakiryat - from kir: an aperitif made from white wine and sweet low-proof berry syrup, most often currant, blackberry or peach. Out of habit, you can really get high on them quickly, especially if you don’t limit yourself to one or two glasses, but, according to the old Russian tradition, start abusing them as expected.
Adventure - aventure: adventure. In French it does not carry the negative connotation that the word acquired in Russian, as, in fact,...
Scam – from à faire: (to) do, do. In general, just do something useful. And not what you thought.
Wall up - from mur: wall. That is, literally “embed into the wall.” The catchphrase “Walled up, demons!” It could hardly have existed during the time of Ivan the Terrible, but to appear in the 17th century, thanks to Peter the Great, is quite like the word...
Work - from raboter: finishing, sanding, planing, doing, in short, manual labor. What’s strange is that until the 17th century such a word was not really used in Russian texts. Don’t forget, it was during the time of Peter the Great that many architects, engineers and craftsmen from Western European countries actually came to Russia. What can I say, St. Petersburg was conceived exactly according to the Parisian model. They designed, the Russians “worked”. We must also not forget that many talented and handy guys, on the orders of the same Peter, went to study the craft in other countries and could well “take” the word with them to their homeland.
Dozen - douzaine: well, twelve, as it is.
Equivoques - from equivoque: ambiguous. No, really, you couldn’t seriously think that such a strange word appeared in Russian just like that, out of nothing to do?
Barak – baraque: shack. From the common Roman word barrio - clay. And this is not at all an invention of the NEP times.
Throw out entrechat - from entrechat: borrowed from Latin, and means - to weave, braid, weave, cross. According to a serious academic dictionary, entrechat is a type of leaping jump in classical ballet dance, when the dancer’s legs quickly cross in the air.
Zealous - from retif: restive. It seems to be one of the oldest borrowed words from the French language. Probably back in the time of Yaroslavna.
Vinaigrette – vinaigrette: vinegar sauce, traditional salad dressing. It has nothing to do with our traditional dish of beets, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. For the French, in general, such a combination of products seems almost fatal, just as they are not delighted with the traditional Russian borsche or, say, kvass (how can you drink this crap?).
Sausage is from saucisse, just like shrimp is from crevette. Well, it seems like there’s no point in talking about the broth at all. Meanwhile, bouillon – “decoction”, comes from the word bolir – “to boil”. Yeah.
Soup - soupe: borrowing from French in the 18th century, derived from the Latin suppa - "a piece of bread dipped in gravy." Do you need to talk about canned food? – from concerver – “to preserve”. It makes no sense to talk about the word “sauce” at all.
Cutlet - côtelette, which in turn is derived from côte - rib. The fact is that in Russia they are used to using the word cutlet to designate a dish of minced meat, while the French use it to designate a piece of meat on a bone, or more precisely, pork (or lamb) on a rib.
Tomato – from pomme d’or: golden apple. Why this phrase has taken root in Russia, history is silent. In France itself, tomatoes are called tritely - tomatoes.
Compote - from componere: to fold, compose, compose, if you want. That is, collect a bunch of all kinds of fruits together.
By the way, the phraseological unit “not at ease” is a literal, but not very correct translation of the phrase ne pas être dans son assiette. The fact is that assiette is not only the plate from which one eats, but the basis, the disposition of the spirit. So, in the original, this phrase meant “to be out of spirit, not in the mood.”
Restaurant – restaurant: literally “restorative”. There is a legend that in 1765 a certain Boulanger, the owner of a Parisian tavern, hung on the doors of his newly opened establishment an inviting inscription: “Come to me and I will restore your strength.” The Boulanger tavern, where the food was tasty and relatively cheap, soon became a fashionable place. As often happens with fashionable places, the establishment received a special name among the regulars, understandable only to the initiates: “Tomorrow we’ll meet again in the Restorer!” By the way, the first restaurant in Russia, “Slavic Bazaar,” was opened in 1872 and, unlike taverns, they ate more there than simply drank.
Discourage - from courage: courage, courage. Courage in the Russian language also acquired a not entirely obvious meaning. Meanwhile, having acquired a prefix, suffix and ending, the word began to mean, in fact, what was meant: to deprive someone of confidence, courage, to lead to a state of confusion.
To fade away - from toucher: to touch, touch. Mmm... I think once upon a time, decent girls blushed and were embarrassed, embarrassed, so to speak, when particularly arrogant young men grabbed them by the knees and other parts of the body.
Trick - truc: a thing, a contraption whose name they cannot remember. Well... this is... what's his name...
Routine - from route, routine: road, path, and the derived from it routine: skill, habit. Haven’t you set your teeth on edge by often walking along the same path, from work to home and vice versa? Maybe I should drop everything and start downshifting (the English word is not about that now)?
Keychain – breloque: pendant on a chain for a watch.
Furniture - meuble: literally something that moves, can be moved, moved to another place, as opposed to immeuble - real estate. Thanks again to Peter the Great for the opportunity not to indicate exactly what household items are in your property, for example the same French ones: bureau, wardrobe, dressing table, wardrobe or stool.
All-in – from va banque: literally “the bank is coming.” An expression used by card players when they suddenly suddenly began to “go overboard.” Therefore, “going all-in” means taking a risk, hoping that you can get a lot.
Slander - from clause: condition of the contract, article of the agreement. How the slander acquired such a negative meaning is difficult to say, how and why...
District - rayon: ray. Became a place on the map, not a source of light.
Gauze - from marly: thin fabric, after the name of the village of Marly, now Marly-le-Roi, where it was first produced.
Debauchery - debauche: debauchery, debauchery, revelry.
Nonsense - from galimatias: confusion, nonsense. There is a wonderful story that once upon a time there was a certain lawyer who had to defend in court a client named Mathieu, whose rooster was stolen. At that time, meetings were conducted exclusively in Latin; the lawyer, like any Frenchman speaking another language, pronounced his speech indistinctly, confusingly, and managed to mix up words in places. Instead of "gallus Matias" - Mathieu's rooster, he said "galli Matias" - that is - Mathieu of the rooster (Mathieu, belonging to the rooster).
And a few stories that you probably know:
Chantrapa - from chantera pas: literally - will not sing. They say it happened in the 18th century at the estate of Count Sheremetyev, famous for creating the first serf theater in Russia. Of course, future opera divas and “divas” were recruited from local Matren and Grishek. The procedure for creating the future Praskovy Zhemchugovs took place as follows: a French (less often Italian) teacher gathered peasants for an audition, and if a large brown bear walked in their ears, he confidently declared - Chantera pas!
Trash - from cheval: horse. Also according to legend, the retreating French troops, severely frozen by the harsh Russian winter and tortured by partisans (also a French word, by the way), were very hungry. Horse meat, which is still considered a delicacy in France, has become almost the only source of food. For the Russians, who still had a vivid memory of the Tatar-Mongols, eating horse meat was completely unacceptable, therefore, having heard the French word cheval - horse, they did not find anything smarter than to assign this name in a derogatory sense to its consumers.
Sharomyzhnik – from cher ami: dear friend. And again a story about the War of 1812. French deserters wandered through villages and villages, begging for at least a piece of food. Of course, they bent over backwards, addressing the Russian aborigines only as “dear friend.” Well, how else could the peasants christen the unfortunate half-frozen creature, dressed in God knows what? That's right - a baller. By the way, the stable idiom “sherochka with masherochka” also appeared from cher et ma cher.
But the word “puzzle” appeared from the reverse translation of the word brass knuckles (cassetete) - from casse: to break and tete - head. That is, in the literal sense.
These are just fifty words familiar to us from childhood. And you can’t even imagine how many of them there are! Just – shhh! - don’t tell the satirist-historian Zadornov, otherwise he’ll come up with something.
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